Can opener



Tn A. LONG CAN OPENER April 1, 19411 Filed Nov. 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheetl A. LONG GTFEHER vApril 1, 1941.

C AN

20, 1939 2 Sheets-(Sheet if;

Filed Nov.

Patented Apr. 1, 1941 carrito STATES VVJSiTENT OFFICE Claims.

The present invention relates to that type of can opener which comprisesa blade adapted to puncture the end of a can the external bead of which,at that end, rests on a wheel or roller for feeding the 'can against theblade, and has for its object to simplify and improve the constructionof such devices.

In the case of can openers of the type under consideration, the bladeand the feed wheel must be movable relatively from4 and toward eachother, in order to open the device for the reception of a can and to*close the device upon the can and drive the blade or cutter through thecan end so as to puncture the latter. In all of the can openers of thiskind that have come to my attention, they are provided with two handlesor levers, one for shifting the blade from and toward the feed wheel andthe other for turning the wheel. One of the objects of the presentinvention is to eliminate one handle or lever and adapt the wheeloperating member to the shifting of the cutter.

It is common practice to mount can opening devices on brackets or basemembers which may be secured to a stationary support, usually a kitchenwall, window frame, or the like. Consel quently, if the can opener isleft permanently in position, ready for use, it may project out into theroom, or other useful space, to an objectionable degree. One of theobjects of the present invention is to permit a can opener to bepermanently mounted, if desired, upon a vertical wall or other support,while having the capacity to be swung back out of the way when not inuse.

A further object of the present invention is so to construct the canopener that the movements thereof between its working and idle positionsare utilized to shift the cutter from and toward the feed wheel; thecutter being moved away from the wheel when the device is swung back outof the way, and being nally brought into can-puncturing position whenthe can opener is swung outwardly again. Consequently, in a can openerembodying the various features of invention, the relative movements ofthe feed wheel and the cutter toward and fro-m each other areaccomplished-by simply shifting the can opener between its working andidle position; the cutter and the feed wheel being separated far enoughto permit the insertion or removal of a can in the device at some pointintermediate between the working and idle positions of the device. Thus,after the device has operated upon a can to remove the end thereof, thedevice need only be started on its backward movement to free the can.Likewise, when the device is in its idle position and it is desired touse it, the device need only be swung toward itsworking position and,while it is still at some distance from.v its working position, the canmay be inserted in the usual way; the final movement of the device toits working position causing the cutter to puncture the can end.

The various featuresA of novelty whereby my invention is characterizedwill hereinafter be pointed' out with particularity in the claims; but,for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects andadvantages, reference may be had to the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation showing one of the improved devicesfastened to a wall and swung back toA an idle position against the walland showing, in dotted lines, a position intermediate between the idleand Working positions; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing thedevice in its working position; Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig.2; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing 'the opposite side ofthedevi'ce from that which appears in Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 5 is aside elevation of a modified construction, the device being shown infull', lines in its working position and in dotted lines in its idleposition.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, I represents a long flat arm connected at itsrear end to a bracket 2 by a horizontal hinge pin 3. The free end of thearm is widened in the downward direction, as indicated at 4. Mounted onone side of the part 4 is any usual or suitable feed wheel 5 fixed toone end of a short shaft 6 that extends through the arm and' has anoperating handle or crank l attached to the end on the opposite side ofthe arm. A second arm 8 is connected at one end to the bracket 2 at` aconsiderable distance above the hinge pin 3 by a horizontal hinge pin 9.On the arm 8, near the free end of the latter, is fixed a blade l0 ofany usual or Suitable construction, lying in a plane just outwardly fromthe drive wheel 5 so as to be capable of being forced down through theend of a can which has its external bead resting on the drive wheel. Thearms l and 8 are connected together toward their free ends so that theymay befswung together upwardly and rearwardly from the position shown inFig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 1. Obviously, if the lcutter liesdirectly above the feed wheel when the parts are in their workingposition, as in Fig. 2, a relative shifting of the wheel and the: bladein the direction. of the length of side of the arm 8.

the arms must occur when the device is swung upwardly and rearwardly,due to the fact that the two hinge pins are spaced apart in the verticaldirection. In order to permit the swinging movements of the arms to bemade, and the necessary cooperation between the feed wheel and thecutter to be effected, I provide the arm I, near its free end, with aslot I I extending in the direction of the length of the arm, andprovide the arm 8 with a pin i2 that extends through this slot; thewidth of the slot being preferably equal to the diameter of the pin. Theslot is of such length, and the pin I2 is so located, that when thedevice is swung down into its working position, the pin bottoms at theinner endI of the slot and thus prevents any further downward movementof either arm.

It is desirable that the cutter lie close' to the outer side face of thefeed wheel when the can opener is in its working position. This is oneof the functions of the pin I2. In view of the fact that wear occurs inthe use of the device, which might result in a looseness in the supportfor the cutter, the pin I2 is made long enough so as to permit one ormore spring washers I3 and a flat, stiff washer I4 to be placed betweenthe head I5 on one end of the pin I2 and the In assembling the parts thespring washers are compressed or contracted somewhat, so that they exerta constant yieldable force pressing the two arms together in thevicinity of the cutter.

At the free'end of the arm 8 is a lateral projection or finger I6projecting from the same side as that on which the cutter is located.This finger or projection acts as a stop to hold the bead of the candown against the feed wheel and to maintain the can in a verticalposition. The lower marginal portion of the downward extension 4 of thearm I is flanged laterally in the same direction as the projection orfinger I6, as`

tension 24 at the free end of the arm 2I is the feed wheel 5 adapted tobe turned by the handle l. The second arm or link 25 is connected to thebracket 22 by a horizontal hinge pin 26 at a point outwardly from andbelow the hinge pin 23. The cutter is in the form of an elongated blade21 connected to the arm 2| by a horizontal pin 28 extending through theblade at about the middle thereof. The lower end of the member 2lconstitutes the cutter proper, while the upper half is simply a leverarm by which the blade may be shifted between working and,

idle positions; this shifting being accomplished through a connectionwith the outer end of the arm or link 25; the connection being in theform of a pin 29 that permits relative swinging movements between thecutter member and the link or arm 25. A finger or projection 30 arrangedat the juncture between the inner or rear edge of the part 24 of the arm2I and the lower edge of that arm, and a iiange 3| at the lower end ofthe part 24 correspond to and have the same functions as the elements I6and I1 in the other form of the device.

The parts are so `proportioned that-when the device is swung down asshown in full lines in Fig. 5, the cutter member assumes substantially avertical position, with its lower end overlapping the upper part of thefeed wheel. As the device is swung upwardly, the cutter is rocked uponits pin so that in its nal position it forms, in effect, an extension ofthe arm or link 25, as shown in dotted lines. It will be seen that therocking of the cutter begins with the upward movement of the device, sothat the cutting edge is soon carried away from the vicinity of the feedwheel and thus permits the can to be removed from the device before thelatter has gone very far in the direction of its idle position.Conversely, a sufficient gap remains between the cutter and the feedwheel, upon returning the device to its working positions, to permit theinsertion of a can, until the device has made the greater part of itsreturn movement.

It is believed that the operation of both forms of my improved devicehas been sufficiently explained heretofore. However, it may be noted,further, that as long as the user must grasp the handle in order to turnthe feed wheel, he may as well do so at the starting point, using thishandle to pull the device from its idle toward its working position, andapplying therewith the necessary force to puncture the end of a can thathas been inserted between the feed wheel and the cutter at some pointshort of the final work- ;ing position.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only thepreferred form of my invention, with a single modication, I do notdesire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustratedand described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which comewithin the deiinitions of my invention constituting the' appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a can opener, a base, an arm supported at one end on said base forswinging movements, a feed wheel on said arm, a cutter on said armmovable from and toward the feed wheel and .adapted to be forced throughthe end of a -can 'engaged with said wheel, and means operated throughthe swinging of said arm in one direction to move the cutter away fromthe wheel and by the swinging of the arm in the other direction to causethe cutter to puncture the end of a can operatively engaged with saidwheel.

2. In a can opener, a base, an arm supported at one end on said base forswinging movements from a working position to an idle position, a feedwheel on the other end ofthe arm, a cutter mounted on the arm formovements from and toward the feed wheel, and means to cause said cutterto move from and toward said wheel when Y said arm is oscillated.

3. In a can opener, a base, an arm projecting from and supported at oneenld on said base for swinging movements from a working position to anidle position, a feed wheel on the arm, a second arm hinged to andprojecting from said base, a cutter, and means connecting the cutter and'said arms together to cause the cutter to move which the rst memberswings, and connections between both of said members and the cutter tocause the cutter to move away from the wheel when said members are swungin one direction and toward the wheel when said members are swung in theother direction.

5. In a can opener, a base, an elongated member supported at one end onsaid base for swinging movements, a feed wheel on said member, a secondelongated member supported at one end on said base for swingingmovements about an axis parallel to and spaced apart from the axis aboutwhich the first member swings, a cutter mounted on said second member,and connections between said members to cause the cutter to move awayfrom the wheel when said members are swung in one direction and towardthe wheel when said members are swung in the other direction.

6. In a can opener, .a b-ase, an elongated member supported at one endon said base for swinging movements, a feed wheel on said member, acutter movably mounted on the aforesaid member and adapted to be forcedthrough the end of a can engaged with said wheel, a second elongatedmember supported at one end on said base for swinging movements about anaxis parallel to and spaced apart from the axis about which the rstmember swings, and a connection between said second member and thecutter to cause that member to move the cutter away from the wheel whensaid members are swung in one direction and to cause the cutter topuncture the end of a can operatively engaged with said wheel when saidmembers are swung in the other direction.

7. In a can opener, a supporting base, an elongated member hinged at oneend to the base for vertical swinging movements, a second elongatedmember similarly hinged to the base at a point above the hinge axis ofthe first member, a feed wheel on the rst member, a handle for turningthe wheel, a cutter, and a connection between the cutter and each ofsaid members to compel the latter to move in unison and to cause thecutter to move from and toward the wheel when the said members areoscillated.

8. In a can opener, a support, an elongated member hinged at one end tosaid support for vertical swinging movements, a feed wheel on the otherend of said member, a handle for turning said wheel, a second elongatedmember sim ilarly hinged to said support at a point above the hinge axisfor the first member, a slot in and extending lengthwise of the rstmember in the vicinity of said wheel, a pin on the other memberprojecting through said slot, and a cutter on said second memberadjacent to said pin.

9. In a can vopener, a support, an elongated member hinged at one end tosaid sup-port for vertical swinging movements, a feed wheel on the otherend of said member, a handle for turning said wheel, a second elongatedmember similarly hinged to said support at a point below the hinge axisfor the first member, a slot in and extending lengthwise of the iirstmember in the vicinity of said wheel, a pin on the other memberprojecting through said slot, and a cutter on said second memberadjacent to said pin; the parts' being so proportioned that, when saidmembers are approximately horizontal, the pin lies in the extreme innerend of the slot and prevents further downward swinging movements of thesaid members.

10. In a can opener, a support, an elongated member hinged at one end t0said support for vertical swinging movements, a feed wheel on the otherend of said member, a handle for turning said wheel, a second elongatedmember sirnilarly hinged to said support at a point above the hinge axisfor the rst member, a cutter device mounted on the first member forrocking movements from and toward said Wheel, and a connection betweenthe second of said members and the cutter device to cause the latter torock when said members are oscillated.

THOMAS A. LONG.

CERTIFICATE OE CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,256,97LI. April I, 19m.

TEOMAs A. LONG.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the lprinted specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as'follows: Page 5,seoond column, line 2O claim 9, for "below" read --above-; and line 56,claim ILO, for "above" read -below; and that the said Letters Patentshould be read with this correction therein that the same may Conf ormto the record of the case in the Patent Office,

Signed and sealed this 51st day of March, A. D. ILQLZ.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

DISCLAHM 2,236,974-Thomas A. Long, Hammond, Ind. CAN OPENER. Patentdated April 1,

1941. Disclaimer filed July 25, 1942, by the inventor. Hcrcby entersthis disclaimer to claims 1, 2, 8, 4, 5, 6 and 10 in said patent.

[Ocial Gazette August 25, 1942.]

